A Call to Act - Health Policy Initiative

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way of addressing GBV. Strategic plans are important for ensuring that issues are addressed in a systematically across large structures or bodies. During the conference, the participants • Crafted a vision statement; • Developed and enacted a Strategic Planning process and documented that process; • Agreed on six focal areas of concern that would guide the planning process; • Identified three at-risk or vulnerable populations of particular concern: women, orphans, and people living with HIV; • Set a template for Strategic Planning that could be used throughout Africa and would be available for use across the worldwide Anglican Communion; and • Formulated policies that would guide the worldwide Anglican Communion’s response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Similarly, the Bahá'í have created guidelines on domestic violence for Bahá'í communities 25 to provide explicit guidance to their Local Spiritual Assemblies on forms of domestic violence and assist them in addressing it through • Establishing the spiritual basis for addressing domestic violence in the context of Bahá'í beliefs; • Making available a common set of definitions, consistent with field research, for what constitutes domestic violence; • Providing insight into the relationship between gender inequality and domestic violence; • Clarifying the general role of laws, punishment and education as they relate to dealing with situations of domestic violence; • Identifying Bahá'í laws, principles, and exhortations that apply directly to situations of domestic violence; • Contrasting and clarifying the roles of individuals and Local Spiritual Assemblies in relation to domestic violence; • Identifying the responsibilities of Local Spiritual Assemblies under both civil and Bahá'í law to protect those who are abused, discipline those who commit abuse, and foster and support the spiritual transformation and character development of every soul; and • Providing a basis for educating the Bahá'í community about domestic violence. Religious bodies also can respond to GBV and HIV by increasing political and financial support to women’s religious networks or organizations, or institutionalizing them. Women’s organizations often prioritize working on issues such as gender-based violence and are well equipped to create programs through their existing mechanisms. By increasing support of women’s networks, religious bodies and institutions can demonstrate their commitment to helping to reduce GBV. In addition, religious bodies can make a concerted effort to include more women, such as representatives from affiliated networks or organizations, thus increasing their responsibilities and including them in decisionmaking that affects institutions. 25 National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States. 2003. Guidelines for Spiritual Assemblies on Domestic Violence: A Supplement to Developing Distinctive Bahá'í Communities. Retrieved July 15, 2008, from http://www.bahai.us/domestic-violence. 22
CONCLUSION Given religious leaders’ experience in and commitment to addressing HIV in their communities and the links between HIV and GBV, it is vital that religious leaders, women of faith, and faith communities promote the reduction of GBV and HIV. With theologies rooted in love and kindness, world religions are called to reach out to their communities to address these issues, based on their own particular beliefs. In looking at religious beliefs connected to gender-based violence and HIV, it is evident that all faiths promote harmonious marriages and relationships and encourage care for the weak and sick. Thus, religious leaders and communities have the opportunity to lead by example, following the teachings of their faiths that discourage violence against women, and can then help to prevent the risk and spread of HIV. Furthermore, religious leaders and communities can go beyond simply following these teachings and serve as educators to others, guiding them to follow their beliefs and take action on the issues. It is recommended that religious leaders take the following advocacy approaches to addressing GBV and HIV: • Educate people within religious institutions and communities, and across faiths • Offer spiritual support to those affected by GBV and HIV • Provide GBV and HIV prevention and support programs • Commit publicly to addressing GBV and HIV • Institutionalize support for addressing GBV/HIV This guide provides many examples from various religions and countries. It is intended to serve as a source of inspiration and ideas that can be adapted as appropriate. 23
Page 1 and 2: A CALL TO ACT: ENGAGING RELIGIOUS L
Page 3: A CALL TO ACT: ENGAGING RELIGIOUS L
Page 6 and 7: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This guide was deve
Page 8 and 9: PREFACE This guide was conceived an
Page 10 and 11: “We commit ourselves to promote a
Page 12 and 13: When asked the same questions, men
Page 14 and 15: • Marriage—some religions call
Page 16 and 17: RESPONDING TO GBV AND HIV: WHAT CAN
Page 18 and 19: LEADER: To form a united front and
Page 20 and 21: including counseling, must adhere t
Page 22 and 23: multi-faith networks addressing GBV
Page 26 and 27: REFERENCES 2004. The Cairo Declarat
Page 28 and 29: Raising Voices: http://www.raisingv
Page 30 and 31: Qur’anic Verses Addressing GBV 26
Page 32 and 33: ANNEX B: AGENDA FOR RELIGIOUS LEADE
Page 34 and 35: ANNEX C: AGENDA FOR RELIGIOUS LEADE
Page 36 and 37: • Jointly develop action plans fo
Page 38 and 39: ANNEX F: SAMPLE ACTIVITIES FOR TRAI
Page 40 and 41: ANNEX G: SAMPLE CASE STUDIES FOR TR
Page 42 and 43: ANNEXES I-K: ILLUSTRATIONS OF INSTI
Page 44 and 45: While the pervasive impact of armed
Page 46 and 47: • There should be political will
Page 48 and 49: ANNEX K: PRESS RELEASE: RELIGIONS F
Page 50: Health Policy Initiative, Task Orde

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